Judge orders authorities to review Zack Griffiths’ recall after CPS admits case cannot proceed

PRISON reform campaigner Zack Griffiths has had all charges against him formally dropped, after the Crown Prosecution Service admitted there was no realistic prospect of conviction.

Mr Griffiths, who has been recalled to custody for almost six months, appeared in court this week for a brief hearing which lasted only two minutes. The CPS told the judge that it would not proceed with the case, conceding that there was insufficient evidence.

The judge directed that the National Offender Management Service and Probation must now be informed immediately in order to consider lifting his recall and to seek his early release.

Prominent figure in prison reform

Griffiths is a well-known figure in Welsh prison reform circles, having set up the HMP Prisons’ Justice Group UK. The organisation has attracted thousands of supporters online, including former inmates, families of prisoners, and campaigners concerned about conditions in custody.

Through the group he has publicised allegations of corruption, drug smuggling, violence, and repeated deaths in custody at HMP Parc in Bridgend. He has also drawn attention to concerns about mental health provision, understaffing, and failures in prisoner supervision.

His outspoken criticism of the prison system has won him a following but has also put him on a collision course with prison authorities, politicians, and parts of the criminal justice establishment.

A thorn in the side of the system

Supporters say that Griffiths has been punished for refusing to stay quiet. His arrest earlier this year was linked to online posts in prison reform groups, including a video allegedly recorded inside a prison. While malicious communications charges have now been dropped, Griffiths spent months in custody on recall while the CPS pursued the case.

Critics inside the prison system see him as a disruptive influence, accusing him of spreading damaging allegations and fuelling unrest among prisoners and their families. Others argue he has highlighted real issues that the authorities would prefer to ignore.

Allegations made against senior officers at HMP Parc – including claims by a whistleblower that one officer had said Griffiths would be “killed” if he returned there – have further inflamed tensions.

Campaigners celebrate, questions remain

Tom Blewitt, of the UK Prisons for Justice Group, welcomed the decision. He said:
“Today confirms what we have known from the very beginning – that Zack had no case to answer. He has lost nearly six months of his life when he should have been out here enjoying life with his family and friends. He should never have been recalled.

“We welcome the CPS decision to drop the charges, but that decision has come five months too late. We hope Zack is released at the earliest opportunity and we cannot wait to welcome him home, where he belongs.”

As of Thursday evening it was not clear whether Griffiths would be released immediately, or whether further delays within the probation service could keep him behind bars for several more days.

What is certain is that his case will further fuel debate about the use of recalls, the accountability of prison authorities, and the treatment of outspoken campaigners who challenge the system from the inside.